Hi Craig - nice photos of what looks like a fantastic trip! Love the three ribbed beavertails, and love the garter snake! Lots of other great images including the portage shot, and the colors in the three travelers in the morning sun of the pine forest are spectacular. Man, your pics really make me want to ditch this place and head off into the wilderness...

Nice photos! Seems the weather smiled on you. Been many years since I was in Quetico. What was your route? Is it wooden-canoe-feasible? Tom McCloud

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Hi Tom.
Yes the weather was perfect, we never paddled in the rain and only had a headwind on the final day. We even saw the aurora borealis one evening. We went in through Prairie Portage and then up to Lake Agnes into Kawnipi. We spent a couple of days in Kawnipi and then back out the way we came in.
As to whether it is wooden canoe feasible, that depends on the individual. Four years ago I did is essentially the same trip with two wooden canoes. The biggest problem is getting into Lake Agnes. The first half mile of the portage is uphill with difficult footing. The second half mile it Is flat but that is little comfort after the first part. I did it carying a wooden boat before but this time with just the 43 pound boat and about the 15 pound pack I have to admit my calves were screaming for days afterwards.

Wooden canoes are very much at home in the park. I've been going with Ferdy Goode, Dave Osborn and others with wood canoes for a few years. They've been doing it much longer than I. Ferd has been in the park with a birch bark canoe for a month. We don't have portages where we go. Just paddle in, fish and loaf for a week and paddle out. Dave paddles a 17' Thompson. I've taken an 18' w/c canoe I built and also a 1926 Old Town HW 18'.

Found Kawnipi on Google Earth. Looks like a good sized lake with deep bays and dozens of islands: a good place to hang out and explore by canoe. Doing those long portages to get there, and away from the crowds makes the sweat of the portage worthwhile, IMHO. Tom McCloud

But, be aware this is likely 1 of if not THE most popular route/entrance to Q.
Not that it will be crowded, as Q has what, 1/10 (?) the number of permits, but you will see other canoes.

And Kawnipi is accessed from both PP and Sag/Gunflint Trail, it's a very popular lake. Good fishing too.

Found Kawnipi on Google Earth. Looks like a good sized lake with deep bays and dozens of islands: a good place to hang out and explore by canoe. Doing those long portages to get there, and away from the crowds makes the sweat of the portage worthwhile